In daily life, we will also contact various prints. You may have thought: What materials and processes are needed for these prints in the printing process? How do these raw materials and printing processes affect the environment and the physical and mental health of employees? Does the last print affect human health?
In daily life, we will also contact various prints. You may have thought: What materials and processes are needed for these prints in the printing process? How do these raw materials and printing processes affect the environment and the physical and mental health of employees? Does the last print affect human health? Today, consumers' awareness of environmental protection and their own occupational safety awareness, coupled with relevant legislative measures, have allowed the printing industry to enter the normal track of sustainable development and environmental protection, and consensus has been reached at home and abroad. As early as in 1990, the United States adopted the Federal Air Cleanup Act (FCAAA), sound environmental directives and measures to make green printing more and more popular. On the other hand, green printing is gradually gaining attention in the industry. In July 2002, Qu Geping, member of the Environmental Resources Committee of the National People's Congress of China, pointed out in an interview with the media that it is necessary to legislate for China's green printing, and relevant environmental protection laws will be designated for the printing industry in due course. How to achieve green printing has become the historical responsibility faced by China's printing industry, the inevitable demand of consumers in the future, and the development trend of the printing industry in the world.
(I) Pollution sources in the printing industry
1.VOC and printing consumables with VOC
VOC is an acronym for Volatile Organic Compounds, meaning "organic volatiles," which are organic chemicals that react with sunlight and nitrogen oxides in the ozone layer. VOCs that evaporate into ozone combine with fine dust particles and other substances in the dust to form fog. The proximity to the earth's atmosphere containing ozone will stimulate the human lungs and cause negative effects on various biological health such as animals and plants. In 1990, the United States passed the federal air cleaning law amendment aimed at reducing general air pollutants and other contaminants such as VOCs. The U.S. Federal and State Environmental Protection Agency has designated and implemented environmental protection projects under the guidance of experts. Reduce air pollutant emissions.
Among the materials used before printing, VOC-containing chemicals include: chemicals used in processes such as film processing, color proofing, plate processing, and gravure platemaking. These chemicals may contain substances that are considered to be VOCs, but these VOCs, such as VOCs contained in the plate developer, are not volatile, and therefore, these materials have not been considered as sources of VOC emission. Other chemicals, such as cleaning solvents, may contain VOCs and evaporate into the air. Such chemicals are VOC sources. You can check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to verify that the materials used in the prepress shop contain VOCs. The VOC-containing consumables in the printing shop include: fountain liquids, printing press cleaners, inks, varnishes, and floor cleaners. Although current consumables are shifting to alternative products, such as mineral oil inks or solvent inks, to vegetable oil inks or water-based inks, these new consumables still contain VOCs, preferably in comparison with MSDS or PDS, to check the materials used.
2. Water pollution
Mainly from inorganic substances such as corrosive liquid and electroplating waste liquid of heavy metals used in gravure platemaking process, organic matter contained in photographic film and offset printing plate developing washing waste liquid is directly discharged to rivers, lakes and seas without treatment, resulting in water body One of the important causes of pollution is the pollution of the soil.
3. Noise pollution
Presses, air compressors, drying equipment, and various molding machines can generate noise. In addition, the noise generated by the bookbinding equipment and cooling towers is also great.
4. Health effects
The various chemicals that evaporate and leak during the printing process can create bad odors, causing headaches and nausea.
(II) Advocating environmental protection printing equipment
1. Use odorless ink
Offset inks used high-boiling hydrocarbon solvents in the past. However, according to the findings of the International Cancer Research Organization (ICRO), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued new regulations that define odorous inks as “dangerous goods and toxic substances. Nowadays printing inks have been used without odor. The solvent, it will not make the skin allergic, non-toxic, less environmental pollution.In addition, the ink-making resin material began to use environmentally friendly raw materials, and put the material printability to a secondary position.In the United States, soy ink is widely used in One of the important reasons for the printing of news newspapers is that the U.S. government wants to promote agricultural development, followed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limitation on VOC emissions. Ink was rarely used in other printing departments because it was drying slowly on other paper substrates.In recent times, as environmental protection has become increasingly high, soy inks have attracted the attention of people in the industry.For example, soy inks are now being applied Packaging, catalogs, commercial printing, etc.
(to be continued)